Fifty shades of moods
by toobeauty
Summary: A collection of fifty drabbles or ficlets describing different emotions between our two famous lovers. COMPLETE.
1. Happy

TITLE: Fifty shades of moods.

PAIRING: Hephaestion and Alexander.

RATING: PG to NC-17

CATEGORY: Historical AU.

DISCLAIMER: I do not know the people involved, no harm intended, everything is product of my imagination, but I would not mind sharing my life with the blue-eyed god.

NO BETA so all mistakes are mine.

FEEDBACK: comments are love! Yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.

* * *

_**HAPPY. (double drabble)**_

The young prince was on cloud nine; his friend was coming back to him after a long separation.

He had been waiting for him for the last two days since one of his father's scouts had seen the party on his way back to the palace.

What Alexander had not taken into consideration was for the tired men to camp at night, to let their horses recover and get some food and a well-deserved rest. The young prince sighed loudly and decided to wait one more night.

The evening was turning into night when Alexander was coming from the baths, distractedly drying his hair with a towel. He suddenly heard some footsteps and when he was about to check who was there, he was tackled to the ground and a glorious pair of strong thighs took him prisoner.

He felt the towel being taken from his head and a warm hand snaking behind his neck to bring his head closer to a pair of warm lips that attacked his quite frantically.

Alexander would recognize those lips anywhere so he let himself be attacked and enjoyed his surrender because happiness was invading his heart with the return of his beloved Phai.


	2. Worried

_**WORRIED. (double drabble)**_

The young brunette was frantically writing on the scroll; the quill was making a rough scratching sound onto the current paper while many other crumpled papers littered the floor. The cyan eyed-youth had his fingers black due to the ink staining them and the tip of his tongue was sticking out through his pale lips, a clear sign of his preoccupation.

He did not know if he was going to finish his assignment for Master Aristotle, the time was flying and he still had lots to write; he had miscalculated the time it could take him and now he was paying for his mistake.

Alexander had seen the problem and he didn't like seeing Hephaestion so worried. He knew that Hephaestion wanted to do it alone, not because he was pretentious, simply because he was responsible.

The blonde prince gently offered his unselfish help. Hephaestion blushed at the simple but heartfelt offer. Giving it a second thought, Hephaestion let himself drown in those mismatched eyes he loved so much and simply nodded his acceptance.

Alexander did nothing but stayed up all night by his friend's side until the assignment was finished and the worried expression disappeared from the handsome face.


	3. Sick

_**SICK **_

The blue-eyed boy was lying still on the cot; his eyes were glassy due to the high fever that had been undermining his strength for the last twelve hours and his small hands were hugging his belly that was being tortured by frequent cramps for the same length of time.

His forehead was covered by tiny drops of sweat and from time to time, a fat drop dared to roll down and enter his eyes, making them itchy. His shoulder-length copper hair was damp due to the constant presence of the cold compresses that his nanny was using in order to lower his fever.

Lanike looked worried at her small charge, who would be six soon, sighed loudly and reassumed her prays to the gods asking for a speedy recovery.

She was also preoccupied not only for the little brunette but also for the blonde prince who had not left his friend's bedside since the moment Hephaestion had fallen sick.

The shorter boy had been holding his friend's hand in his while whispering in his ear all the things they would do together as soon as he was recovered while his mismatched eyes waited for a positive answer from heaven.


	4. Passionate

_**PASSIONATE (M rated)**_

No one would ever believe that Hephaestion, the rational, restrained and quiet brunette was such a passionate person, especially when it had to do with his prince. He did not show it openly; he was subtle about it but what was certain was that the blue-eyed youth could not hide it and he did not want to do that either.

He showed his passion in public through very simple but meaningful gestures, an encouraging look towards his prince when he was giving a speech; a simple brush of hands while they were walking along the halls of the palace; the offer of the reddest apple after a hearty lunch, among others.

However, when the door to the prince's chamber closed, a passionate Hephaestion appeared and he did dare to show it to Alexander openly and repeatedly.

Today was that occasion; Hephaestion had not seen Alexander during two whole days because he had been attending several meetings with his father and today he had left early in the morning to take part in a hunt in nearby lands.

Hephaestion had not been able to catch a glimpse of his lover and his body was about to burst and he knew that the explosion was going to be a huge one.

As soon as the dusty and sweaty prince crossed his chamber doors, he was quickly slammed into the door and kissed to an inch of his life. Alexander knew whom those lips belonged to and kissed them back hard.

Quick hands started to unclasp the prince's chiton and eager fingers found their way beneath Alexander's loincloth. Those slender yet strong fingers found an awakening manhood that became fully erect in seconds.

Alexander moaned loudly; long was forgotten his tiredness and annoyance because arousal was the only thing he could feel in that moment.

Hephaestion gave his prince's cock a gentle squeeze while this thumb rubbed onto its weeping red-mushroom head.

Alexander took a long gasp of air and sinking his face between Hephaestion's head and neck, bit the brunette hard in his shoulder. That meant only one thing, Hephaestion quickened his handjob and Alexander finally came hard and long, coating his brunette's hand and his own stomach with his pearly seed.

When Alexander recovered, he kissed Hephaestion thoroughly and, pushing him until his knees met the border of the massive bed, he whispered against his kiss-bruised lips "It's my turn now"


	5. Funny

_**FUNNY. (double drabble)**_

"Why are you smiling?" Alexander asked Hephaestion who was lying on a green patch of grass.

"I was remembering something" the brunette answered shortly.

"Was it funny?" the curious prince asked again.

"It was for me, at least" Hephaestion said and a silly smile graced his face.

"Who was in that memory?" Alexander, a bit jealous, asked.

"We were in it" the brunette replied and smiled mischievously.

"And …?" the prince insisted because he knew his friend was hiding something.

"And a frog!" Hephaestion said and rolled on the grass while laughing loudly.

"Oh no, not that again, please" Alexander said and covered his face with both hands.

"Only you could believe that if you kiss a frog it will change into your soul mate" Hephaestion said and laughed loudly, once again.

"Well, you are the guilty one too" Alexander insisted.

"How could I? It was you who kissed the frog" Hephaestion said plainly.

"Yes, but I was missing you so badly …" Alexander confessed and blushed deeply.

Therefore, Hephaestion did not have another choice than kiss his lover and made it up for him … repeatedly.


	6. Scared

_**SCARED (double drabble)**_

The wound in his thigh was bleeding too much, thick spurts of the precious red liquid were running out through his fingers and the brunette warrior realized that there was no way to stop it, no matter how hard he pushed his hand against the long gash.

He had not seen the enemy's weapon coming his way, eager to sever his life on the battlefield. He had not seen the danger coming because his cyan eyes were watching a scene he had never imagined to see; his beloved king was being carried on Achilles's shield by four of his companions, out of the battlefield, with a deadly wound to his chest and his battered body covered in his precious blood.

Hephaestion was scared because in that moment of need, his king could not count with him and he felt completely defeated, his own wound, completely forgotten by the moment.

Fortunately, Hephaestion had been able to lock eyes with Alexander, just for a precious moment, while he was carried away and the brunette was no longer scared because in that simple look Alexander had been able to show him that he still had life in them and was ready to fight.


	7. Lazy

_**LAZY.( 500 words)**_

Hephaestion was always in movement; he followed his king everywhere, as if he were a silent shadow but whose presence was essential and invaluable for the young blonde as he was the only man he trusted blindly.

He was tireless, going and checking everything, not only once but twice and even three times, if the assignment was important or lives depended on it. He was always up at dawn, or even before, and he went to bed when it was very late and sometimes when the stars started to disappear from the sky.

No matter how many times the king insisted he delegated some of his tasks, the brunette did always find the perfect excuse not to do that, alleging that he could do that and even more if it were necessary.

However, there was one day when Hephaestion was nearly motionless and it did not matter if the world was ending or not or if his beloved Army needed his presence. On his birthday, the gorgeous brunette became the laziest man on earth and enjoyed it that way.

The great king was reduced to a mere observer and he really enjoyed watching his lover almost immobile, a precious image that he was gifted every year.

The handsome blue-eyed man woke up and stirred in his sleep, opening one eye to check the situation inside their chamber and then he lazily rubbed his fingers along the awaken manhood making it harder and ready. He already had sensed his partner inside the room.

Alexander, who had been silently sat in the shadows of the chamber, approached the bed slowly and after having enjoyed that erotic view for a while, he covered his Phai's body with his and made love to him so slowly that it seemed as if they were not moving at all. Both men came hard and long and then fell asleep in each other's arms; the brunette's head tucked beneath his partner's chin while the blonde snaked his leg over the milky thigh in a possessive way.

As the king had already prepared everything for that special day, both men had lunch inside the chamber, feeding each other morsels of food and sharing lazy kisses between each bite.

After their third round of slow and meaningful lovemaking, Alexander escorted his partner to the hot bath and proceeded to wash his body thoroughly, rubbing the tanned skin with the most expensive oil he had found. The slow and caring caresses took them to a new round of lovemaking, even lazier than before due to the relaxation of the hot water.

After dinner, Alexander gave Hephaestion his gift, a beautiful embroidered chlamys and a thin gold ring to add to the other five he was already wearing, one for each year since their official bonding ceremony.

Then they both kissed lazily until they fell asleep, so tangled that it could not be said where one man ended and the other began but that was the way they rested the best.


	8. Horny (M rated)

_**HORNY – sequel to Passionate. M rated**_

**.**

"It is my turn now" Alexander whispered and twisting his lover over, he set himself on top of the brunette.

"Oh, are you going to top, Sire?" Hephaestion asked and laughed.

"Yes and you are too cocky for being a bottom" Alexander said and chewed the taller man's earlobe slightly making Hephaestion moan deeply with desire.

"Alex!" Hephaestion warned him.

"What, my love?" Alexander said, leaving a trail of wet kisses along the strong neck.

"You know what, My King" Hephaestion purred the last two words, knowing what that did to his blonde lover.

"By Zeus, I love when you call me my king" Alexander replied and gave a gentle bite to Hephaestion's shoulder, making the brunette shiver.

"Well, are you going to do something or not?" Hephaestion said between rapid gasps.

"Why do you ask me that? Are you in a hurry?" Alexander asked, letting himself sink in those blue pools of heaven and peace that were Hephaestion's eyes.

"No, just horny" the brunette confessed and blushed deeply, a typical response to his current mood.

"I will have to do something to remedy that" Alexander whispered in his ear and then took his partner's lips in a toe-curling kiss.

When the kiss was over, Alexander began to kiss his soul mate's chin while his hands started to roam over the heated tanned skin.

Low sighs left the brunette's kiss-swollen lips and he accommodated his body better on the massive bed so he could give Alexander more room to move.

Alexander continued kissing him southwards until his lips found Hephaestion's already hard nipples and licked them with the flat of his tongue until they were two pointed nubs of brownish flesh.

Hephaestion could not keep quiet and his moans were louder with every passing minute. Alexander smiled against the strong sweaty chest and decided to hurry up a bit because he did not know how much longer he would last.

As if reading his mind, Hephaestion circled Alexander's strong waist with his muscled legs and with the heels of his big feet, he pushed the royal body towards his.

Alexander was quick enough to set a hand between them so he could caress the growing bulge between those thighs that had been his doom since he had memory.

Hephaestion moaned loudly when Alexander caressed the tip of his engorged cock with his thumb and immediately tightened the iron hug he had around Alexander's waist.

Alexander grabbed the small pot with oil from the nearby table and sinking the fingers inside it, smeared the viscous liquid over them. He then moved his hand towards Hephaestion's bottom and he found the pliant opening quite quickly but he took his time preparing his husband; the king loved being thorough and it also put Hephaestion hornier than their former foreplay.

"Alexander now!" Hephaestion demanded, his voice hoarse due to his loud moans.

"Of course, my pushy bottom" Alexander said and Hephaestion was about to protest when he felt Alexander enter him all the way.

The king waited a minute or two before he started to move because he was sure he would come quickly if he dared to move an inch; being inside Hephaestion felt like being home and he wanted to enjoy that feeling a little bit longer.

Alexander began to move with slow thrusts yet deeper until he hit that bundle of nerves inside his partner that made the blue-eyed man moan loudly as if he wanted to wake up the dead.

Having found the right angle, Alexander hit the same spot repeatedly until he felt Hephaestion tighten around his cock and coming all over his stomach. A few thrusts later, Alexander emptied his warm seed inside his lover and partner and prayed the gods for the miracle of a baby, fruit of their love.

Both men remained quiet for a while until Alexander softened enough to leave Hephaestion's body but the brunette stopped him and whispered:

"I love when you stay inside me" and giving a long sigh, he fell asleep.

Alexander smiled at his sleeping and sated beauty and remained inside his partner, who was also his home.


	9. In love

_** IN LOVE – Sequel to LAZY (600 words)**_

_**.**_

Hephaestion looked at the sixth gold ring on the fourth finger in his left hand and smiled that intimate smile only reserved for his royal husband.

"Why are you smiling?" Alexander asked curiously.

"I was just remembering when you gave me my first gold ring" Hephaestion said and looked at his partner in the eyes.

"Can you believe it had been six years since that?" Alexander said and combed the brunette's tresses with his fingers, enjoying the sensation.

Hephaestion smiled and stirred like a cat in their bed; he loved when Alexander slow down for a while and he was able to take the time to do those little things that kept their love alive.

"I was so nervous when you asked me to join you in the forest; I thought you wanted to break up with me because you had finally given in to your mother's pressure to get a bride before taking part in the campaign to the East" Hephaestion explained.

"I was nervous too" Alexander confessed.

"Why? Did you think I could reject your proposal?" Hephaestion asked surprised because he had never thought Alexander had been so insecure.

"Well, the thought crossed my mind once or twice" Alexander said.

"But … I had already confessed that I was in love with you" Hephaestion said and propped his slender body on one of his elbows so he could have a better look at his husband.

"Yes, but one thing was that, another thing was to ask you to bond to each other at 18, when we were so young and when I had not been appointed as heir in that moment" Alexander whispered.

"That last thing would not have changed anything, not for me" Hephaestion affirmed.

"Neither for me; I have always known that you were born to be my soul mate as was I" Alexander explained and moved upwards to give Phai's lips a gentle peck.

"When I saw you there, wearing your best chiton and the priest standing by your side, I started to sweat because only in my most fantastic dreams, I have seen that image" Hephaestion whispered.

"I remember that I wanted to buy you a thicker ring because I knew that that thin one could be fragile, but I did not have too much money left after I bought the oils and offers to the gods to bless our bonding" Alexander said and looked at Hephaestion who was looking back at him with love in his cyan eyes.

"I love my ring and the others too because each of them adds a year of happiness to the previous one" Hephaestion said, looking at his six rings.

"Maybe we can have a big bonding celebration when we reach our ten-year anniversary" Alexander said, already planning the party in his head.

When the king did not get an immediate answer, he looked at his partner and saw the serious expression in his handsome face.

"I don't need anyone else to certify that I am bonded to you. I already had the best witnesses, the gods, the priest and ourselves and I would never change that for any more pompous or public celebration" Hephaestion stated.

Alexander looked at him and smiled. He then added:

"As usual, you are right, we are truly in love and we don't have to prove it to anyone but ourselves. Will you let me show you how much I love you?" Alexander asked and his brunette husband nodded and immediately after kissed his acceptance.


	10. 10 Tearful

_**TEARFUL (double drabble)**_

The young blonde-haired prince did not want to cry; he was not a little and weak girl but the pain was too acute and he did not know how much longer he would resist that searing pain running along his whole body.

His tutor was always forcing them to give their best but Leonidas was more aggressive and hard with Alexander who was treated and considered as any other companion but his tutor secretly demanded him to do more than the rest because that was what was expected from the future Macedonian heir.

The result of the last practice had been painful for the blonde; two of his toenails had fallen out after a hard fall, one of his ribs was bruised when a long wood stick found him during a battle practice and one of his cheeks showed a small but deep cut, a strong punch gifted by his tutor's fist.

Alexander looked at Hephaestion from his place on the floor and he was ready to let his tears fall when the brunette sent him an encouraging look that made his tearful mood disappear.

He would keep his tears for a better occasion and today was not the day.


	11. 11 Abandoned

_**ABANDONED (double drabble)**_

Alexander looked around him and felt shocked, his father was lying dead in his arms, killed by a jealous and vindictive lover. His mother was looking at him with an expression of satisfaction in her pretty face, her dark eyes showing her triumph and hidden happiness. The younger wife with a newly born baby in her arms looked nervous, thinking what would be of her future without the old king by her side while Attalus looked at the scene before his eyes and he could not believe how inconvenient the situation was for his plans.

The rest of the companions were all shocked due to the recent event and looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

The theatre was full of people; in spite of that, the young blonde prince felt abandoned to his own fate and to a life full of responsibilities that he was not so sure he was ready to assume yet.

Fortunately, a strong presence by his side showed Alexander that everything was going to be all right and that same person, after crowning him as the new Macedonian king, took that feeling of abandonment away and never let him felt that way again.


	12. Miserable

_**MISERABLE. (400 words)**_

The little prince was feeling so sad that even his mother realized that something was wrong with her little Achilles. However, neither she nor her husband had been able to discover what was worrying the little prince so badly and have him so quiet and deep in his thoughts.

The little blonde of only five summers was miserable because his newly met friend, who was his eldest by only eight months, had let him know that his parents had got him engaged to an Athenian girl that came from a very influential family and he was to marry her against his own desire.

Alexander, even though he was just a boy, had discovered the importance of the boy with those pretty blue eyes in his life and was decided not to lose him.

"He's mine" the little prince said between his clenched teeth.

"Who is yours, my little warrior?" queen Olympia asked.

"Hephaestion" he replied plainly.

"General Amyntoros's son?" the queen asked a bit surprised because the other boy had arrived just a few months ago.

"Yes and he cannot marry that girl" the boy insisted.

"Why not?" an intrigued and curious queen asked.

"Because I like him and if he goes to Athens, I'm going to be miserable all my life" Alexander confessed and let a stray tear roll down his chubby cheek.

"Don't be so dramatic, my Alexander; you will be great and remembered forever so you will need a suitable queen who will give you children for your big empire" she advised him.

"I don't want a queen and Phai does not want that girl or any other; I want him and he wants me. Do you want me to feel sad forever?" he asked his mother.

"No, I don't want that but you are too young and feelings change so easily at your age" she said.

"Not ours, we don't want to be miserable and if nobody helps us, we will run away together" Alexander stated so sure that his mother got really nervous.

Olympia knew how stubborn Alexander could be and she felt envy of her own son because he had been able to find true love at such tender age and he was ready to fight for it. It was also helpful that the young prince's other half had the same idea too.


	13. Stubborn

_**STUBBORN. (300 words)**_

No one could deny that the little brunette warrior had a strong will; he did everything with passion and dedication but if anyone stopped just for a while to look at him, they would discover that it was mainly stubbornness what moved and guided him towards his goals.

That was why he was often seen with many bruises in his still thin legs and cuts in his hands after having practice for hours. He used to follow the movements of the trained and older soldiers who he frequently watched when he had finished his homework or had some free time.

He was once asked why he was like that, pushing himself to the limits, sometimes suffering so deeply, and he simply answered:

"I want to be the best warrior in the Macedonian Army and the one to help the prince to fulfill his dreams and get the big empire he deserves"

"You mean to help the King" his master corrected him but already being suspicious.

"No, Prince Alexander will one day be the greatest king of all and I will be there by his side to see that" Hephaestion said seriously.

"Would you do anything for your prince, little Hephaestion" Aristotle asked.

"Yes" he replied without doubt.

"Anything?" the master insisted.

"Yes" the little brunette repeated.

"That is too risky, he might turn to be a tyrant" Aristotle said, knowing what his reply would provoke in the young student.

"He will not but if he does, I will be there to remind him what to do" he said and left his master with his mouth wide open.

"I'm sure you will be the power behind the king" Aristotle said and laughed, wishing he could see that with his own eyes.


	14. Nauseous

_**NAUSEOUS. (300 words)**_

The young brunette was feeling nauseous and it had not been the first time that week. He had suffered that evil sensation for four days running and the taste of rotten egg in his mouth made him feel more nauseous and it also had an effect on his always calm and soft mood.

Every time he moved in their bed in the early morning, he felt the world spinning around him and it made him lie on his back for some minutes until the movement stopped.

"Are you fine?" the young king asked his partner, a bit worried.

"Just a bit nauseous" Hephaestion replied, showing a bit of green around his eyes.

"Are you nervous about today?" Alexander asked again.

"No, it is not my first diplomatic mission" Hephaestion said.

"So what is it? Is it due to my mother's visit next week? I can send a messenger asking her not to come" Alexander offered.

"No, I need the banter with her, it helps me to keep in shape" Hephaestion said and got up from their bed.

"Speaking about keeping you in shape, you look a bit plumper" Alexander said.

"Do I?" Hephaestion said, looking downwards and to his surprise, he saw a little bump in his midsection that had not been there two or three months before.

"Mmm, I will have to stop eating Lena's delicious food or I won't be able to wear my armour" he replied quietly and entered the bath room.

Alexander looked at Hephaestion's retreating back and he suddenly heard a feminine giggle, quite similar to the one's their favourite goddess favoured and a broad smile graced the king's lips; he would no longer have to pray for an heir, it was already on his way.


	15. Busy

_**BUSY. (double drabble)**_

Alexander was working hard at his desk, its surface was covered by many maps and scrolls; his very efficient chiliarch had provided him with all the necessary information to plan their new conquest. Thanks to those detailed maps, all of them drafted by the brunette during his many scout missions and then drew and painted, Alexander could almost see the full extension of the territory to conquer, its richness and the different geographical features.

The young king had been so busy that his food was still there on the tray, cold and untouched.

Hours went by and he had not moved at all. He was so concentrated that, for the first time in a long time, he had not realized that he was no longer alone.

A pair of strong but gentle hands caressed his nape and skilled fingers began to massage the knotted muscles in his partner's neck.

A loud moan left Alexander's mouth and he immediately tipped his head backwards, resting it over his husband's belly. A tiny kick made both men smile and the king of the known world was no longer busy when he turned round to set an amorous kiss on his partner's baby bump.


	16. Irate

_**IRATE. (single drabble)**_

The Macedonian king couldn't believe what had just happened, two of his most trusted men had fought in front of their men and the Army had taken sides.

To say that Alexander was irate was an understatement; his rage could be easily spotted in his mismatched eyes and seen in his rigid posture and he dared to say to his partner those five lethal words.

"You are nothing without me" fell on Hephaestion's ears, hurting him as thousands of swords going through his flesh and, for the first time in his life, Hephaestion feared for his future inside the army.


	17. Hard

_**HARD. Sequel to IRATE (300 words)**_

No one could imagine how hard it was for the young king to know about the quarrel. It was hard because both were two of his most trusted men and they had been together for many years. It was hard because one of them was not only one of his Generals but also his lover. It was hard because he had to act as the king and ruler of the empire he was creating, leaving aside his personal feelings on the subject and administering the same justice and further punishment as if those two men were any other of the ones forming his army, because everyone was equal in his army.

It was hard because even though he wanted to be fair, he already knew that all of them would end losing.

Alexander could lose not only his private confidence on his partner but also the public and blind confidence his own army had deposited on him; he could also lose his everything because that was what Hephaestion was to him, his only and eternal Philalexandros.

Hephaestion could lose the respect, hard gained, of part of the army because he had lost his temper and he had been quick to take his sword and threaten to kill one of his companions and consequently sink the army into the deepest chaos and a probable mutiny afterwards.

Krateros could also lose his king's trust and he would be afraid the rest of his life, as if he were constantly walking on eggshells.

A simple fight could put the undefeatable Macedonian army on its knees and bring on itself the realization of an unthinkable defeat, a never tasted experience.

It was so hard to be king in that moment that Alexander wanted to be, for the first time in his life, someone else.


	18. Resigned

_**RESIGNED. Sequel to HARD (single drabble)**_

Both men were sent back to their chambers; the problem was that Hephaestion's chamber was also Alexander's. Therefore, Hephaestion gathered his belongings, put them inside a chest and carried it by himself to the barracks, to his men.

Many soldiers saw him, many were sad, others were enjoying his prompt fall, especially Krateros's men and the very same General.

Hephaestion resigned to his new status, sat on a thin and not too clean cot, sighed lowly and then laid onto it, his right arm covering his eyes, trying to think what his life would be like from that moment onwards.


	19. Concerned

_**CONCERNED. Sequel to RESIGNED. (250 words)**_

When Alexander's wrath started to calm down and he was able to see more clearly, he felt concerned; he really wanted the problem to be over but with the minimum side-effects.

He was sure that Krateros would not give much thought to the problem but the king was more concerned about his beloved Hephaestion; the man would think he had dishonored their King-General relationship and he was sure he would hand in his resignation. He was also worried because in moments like that, Hephaestion tended to close to everyone and suffer in silence, becoming invisible. He had done that before and Alexander almost lost him.

The king got even more concerned when he entered his chamber and his brunette was not there and he wondered if maybe the General was taking a long walk to calm down his nerves and mind.

However, Alexander did not feel at ease so he decided to take a bath and let the hot water soothe him and give him time to think what he would do next. However, his desire for a hot bath disappeared when he opened his trunk to take some clean clothes and found it half-empty because Hephaestion's chitons and cloaks were no longer there.

He stood up, started to look around their chamber and realized that his lover had taken all his things but that he had left behind the ones Alexander had gifted him along the years spent together.

Alexander was now feeling not only concerned but also depressed.


	20. Terrified

_**TERRIFIED. (single drabble)**_

Alexander entered the barracks chamber and looked at the man lying on the tiny bed; he could not believe that Hephaestion was lying so still; his chest raising and falling in such a subtle way that it seemed unmoving.

The king was restless; his Hephaestion never fell ill and if he did, he was well again after a few hours of rest. However, this had not been the case, he had been there for days and he had rejected everybody's company, even Alexander's.

Alexander was terrified, thinking how he would go on living if Phai didn't recover from his depression.


	21. Depressed

_**21 DEPRESSED. Sequel to TERRIFIED. (single drabble)**_

Hephaestion was depressed but it was not due to those five fatidic words; it was because he had failed his king and he had always promised to himself that that was the last thing he would dare do.

He felt depressed because he had run away and hid for five days as if he were a child instead of a General in the greatest Army of that time.

He felt depressed because he had denied Alexander the chance to talk to him and clear the air between them.

Hephaestion was depressed but determined to put an end to that situation.


	22. Motionless

_**22\. MOTIONLESS. Sequel to DEPRESSED (Single drabble)**_

Alexander was motionless, he no longer knew what to do about Hephaestion; he had tried talking to him but he hadn't been received and he hadn't wanted to impose his authority.

He was motionless as regards his lover but he continued ruling his army as if nothing had happened.

However, things had obviously changed and it had started to show when the king turned round to consult something with Hephaestion and the blue-eyed General wasn't by his side as he used to be.

Feeling motionless was something Alexander hated and he was determined to put an end to that situation.


	23. Complicated

_**COMPLICATED. Sequel to MOTIONLESS (340 words)**_

Alexander met Hephaestion for the first time after his self-imposed ostracism one late evening near the chamber they used to share.

"Health to you, my King" Hephaestion greeted him, his eyes cast down.

"Health to you, General" Alexander replied seriously.

"I wonder if you have some time for me" Hephaestion asked, nearly in a whisper.

"I only came to change my clothes; the ambassadors are already waiting for me" the king replied.

"Oh … I forgot about that" Hephaestion murmured.

"Well, you haven't been around lately" Alexander said, trying to guess in which mood Hephaestion was.

"You are right, my king, as always. I will arrange an appointment with Eumenes" Hephaestion said, biting his lower lip.

Alexander was a bit surprised, he knew how much Hephaestion disliked the private secretary but he kept his mouth shut. When Hephaestion dared to lift his gaze, Alexander nodded quickly, trying to hide his surprise at seeing his former lover's face. Hephaestion looked like a drowned cat, drained of his natural and contagious energy, at least for his king.

The brunette hesitated for a while, then bowed slightly and went away.

It took the four more days to meet again, Eumenes made it impossible for them to meet, always claiming other and many scheduled meetings.

Hephaestion reassumed his normal activities but never stayed next to the king or left the places as soon as they were dismissed.

Alexander did not understand why Hephaestion had stopped trying to meet him so he went to look for Eumenes. After being questioned, the secretary did not know how to hide his doing; it had been he who had made the situation more complicated by turning down Hephaestion's requests for an audience with the king.

Fortunately, Alexander saw through the secretary's malice and decided to take the bull by its horns. After telling him off, Alexander went in search of his General and found him reading under their apple tree. Alexander sighed loudly and finally decided to attack that complicated situation.


	24. Forgiven

_**24\. FORGIVEN. Sequel to COMPLICATED. (530 words)**_

Hephaestion lifted his gaze from the scroll he was reading and, at seeing the king by his side, he immediately motioned to stand up but Alexander was quicker and sat by his side before the brunette could even move.

"What are you reading?" the blonde man asked in a whisper.

"A scroll about the formation of the Sacred Band of Thebes" he replied in the same soft tone of voice.

"Would you read some for me?" the king asked.

Hephaestion started to read; the soft cadence of his baritone voice transported the young king to a world of fights, codes of honour and lovers who decided to fight and die together.

Alexander let his head rest onto Hephaestion's strong shoulder and followed the reading with his own eyes. Minutes later, his eyelids felt heavy and finally closed.

Hephaestion felt a heavier weight on his shoulder and realized that Alexander had fallen asleep; his breathing was shallow but calm.

Hephaestion stopped reading and contemplated the man sleeping on his shoulder and felt his heart swell with happiness and sadness at the same time; happiness because his king trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms, and sadness because he did not know what would happen when Alexander woke up.

Hephaestion remained quiet so he didn't disturb his king's sleep. One hour later, Alexander stirred and yawned loudly. He lifted his head, looked at Hephaestion and blushed.

"I'm sorry but your voice has a soothing effect on me" he explained.

"I know, it has always had" Hephaestion replied.

"Yes, especially when I have not been sleeping well" Alexander confessed.

"I'm sorry, that is my fault too" he said and cast down his cyan eyes.

"We are all guilty; you two for letting things go that far; you, for not being able to see that my words were said by the king and not by your lover; I am also guilty because I let you think that you had betrayed me and maybe because I should have addressed both of you in my reprimand but I addressed you because you are the one I love and need the most" Alexander stated clearly.

"You are the king and you did what it was the best and fairest for the Army" Hephaestion answered.

"Yes, but maybe I should have looked for a better way to let you know that" Alexander confessed.

"Things got really complicated, didn't they?" Hephaestion asked and Alexander could hear sadness in each of the words the brunette had just uttered.

"Yes they did but I'm sure that we will find a way to work things out" the king assured his General.

"Yes, count on me for that" Hephaestion said promptly.

"I already did" Alexander said and standing up, he offered Hephaestion his hand, who took it without hesitation.

When both men were standing and looking onto each other's eyes, they could see that they had been forgiven.

Their offenses would never be forgotten but they were forgiven and that meant to help them grow and come closer … the time for the reunion was near ….


	25. Pure

_**PURE . (single drabble)**_

Hephaestion looked at Phainder and felt his heart burst with the purest love he had ever felt.

The blue eyes, still blind, were wide open and the tired but still handsome former Chiliarch could have sworn his baby's eyes were made of tiny bright stars.

He knew that it would be difficult to raise him alone; the other father was in one of his campaigns and oblivious to the new situation.

Hephaestion looked at the baby, smiled widely and wondered what Olympias would think if she knew about this pure heir, born with the mixed blood of Achilles and Patroclus.


	26. Weak

_**WEAK. (150 words)**_

Weak was one of the words that immediately people thought about when they met Hephaestion, however, there was not a pinch of weakness in his body or mind. Other words were thought too but they were more connected to lust.

He was slender but he could wrestle any of his companions and won easily. He was handsome but he was not a woman and he had proved it more than once. He was polite and well-educated but he was not a sycophant.

Years went by and people forgot that once they had related Hephaestion to weakness. The General had shown them repeatedly his strength, not only in the battlefield but also during his diplomatic missions.

There was only one weakness that time had not been able to toughen, his weakness for his king and lover and that was a feeling that the brunette did not want to change at all.


	27. Murderous

_**27\. MURDEROUS. (300 words)**_

The blonde prince was wandering around his mother's garden thinking about his meeting with his lover as soon as he reached his rooms. He suddenly saw some movement between the bushes and some muffled cries. He smiled to himself because he was sure that if he went to investigate, he would find one of the young maids or a page in the middle of an amorous encounter; he had done the same with Hephaestion when they hid under the thick foliage of the tall trees.

He was going to play deaf to those sounds when he heard a repeated "No" in a very familiar tone of voice.

Without giving it a second thought, he went to see what was happening and he froze in the spot when he saw who was involved in the problem.

His beloved Hephaestion was being held against his will by a taller and muscled soldier who had one of his strong arms against the brunette's throat and, by the deep red colour of Hephaestion's skin, the man was putting quite a lot of pressure in the youth's windpipe to muffle his shouts.

The other hand was fondling Hephaestion's genitals quite rudely while the blue-eyed teen was trying to kick his aggressor in his shins.

Alexander approached them with a murderous expression in his always-calm face and hit the back of the soldier's head with the hilt of his sword. The hit made the aggressor release the hold he had on Hephaestion but it did not neutralize the dangerous situation.

However, when the enraged man turned round to take care of his attacker and saw the lethal look in his prince's mismatched eyes, he knew that his life had its days numbered; lately had he realized that he had tried to attack the Macedonian prince's lover.


	28. Distracted

_**DISTRACTED. (230 words)**_

It was very unusual to find Hephaestion distracted, especially when Master Aristotle was giving such an interesting class.

However, the young companion could not help being distracted by the presence of his friend and prince Alexander.

"Has he always had such blonde hair?" The brunette wondered.

"Have his eyes always had that glow in them?"

"Have his shoulders been so broad and toned?"

"Has ….?

"Is there a problem, Hephaestion? Master Aristotle asked.

"No, master" the young boy replied and blushed deeply because he had been caught daydreaming.

"So, don't get distracted, this is important" the old man told him off but making at the same time a mental note to see if there was something that was troubling his young student.

A much-blushed Hephaestion lowered his head and remained focused for a long while until he felt a shy hand on his knee. The brunette lifted his gaze and found a pair of mismatched eyed looking back at him. Alexander gifted him a gentle smile and removed his hand but Hephaestion could still feel its warmth, even after it was no longer there. Hephaestion let his mind fly away, thinking how it would feel to touch Alexander in return.

Distraction had a hold on the brunette's mind and Master Aristotle let his distraction pass because he remembered being young and in love.


	29. Romantic

29\. ROMANTIC. (240 words)

Romance was for women and his partner was a man and, to put the matter worse, he was also a prince; a very handsome and strong young man with hair made of sunrays and two-toned eyes.

Even though he had been battling against it, Hephaestion decided to do something romantic for Alexander, just to show him how much he cared about him.

There was when the problem began; he could not give him flowers, that was too girlish. He could not give him sweets because Alexander did not eat them anymore after his latest liver attack. He could not give him jewels because he had not enough money for such an expensive present.

After thinking and thinking, he could not come with something to give him. Therefore, he decided on a new tactic. He saw Alexander coming his way and the blonde was about to ask him what the problem was when the brunette put a single finger on the prince's mouth to hush him. He then took a deep breath and said aloud:

"I love you so much, my Alexander"

Then he took the prince's lips in a heart-stopping kiss. He then pecked the slightly swollen lips and whispered against them:

"By the way, Happy birthday, my prince"

"Well, my birthday is not until tomorrow" the prince stuttered.

"Oh, my mistake. So I will have to kiss you tomorrow again" Hephaestion said and smiled broadly.


	30. Breathless Extravagant

_**BREATHLESS. (410 words)**_

Alexander was going back to the palace when he decided to take a short detour and go to the river. He had been having a difficult week and he needed time alone before he faced his companions during dinner.

He was about to take a major decision and he really really needed to think about it, so a fresh mind was all he needed at that moment.

However, that was not what he got but exactly the opposite.

When he was close to the river, he heard noises and a loud manly gasp and immediately after, he saw the most erotic vision he had ever seen in his whole life.

Hephaestion was rubbing a soapy piece of cloth quickly and vigorously onto his sweaty arms. Alexander knew that his friend had been training some horses for many hours that was why he was in need of such through bath. Alexander took a closer look and he realized that the water had to be cold because the tanned skin was covered in goose bumps and his nipples were two hard nubs of brownish flesh. The young blonde remembered other times when he had been the responsible for such reaction.

A moment later, Hephaestion sank himself to rinse the rest of the soap and Alexander could have a better look at that smooth sun-kissed skin that covered that toned and enticing frame.

Then the brunette stood up to his full height and stretched his arms towards the sky, over his head, as if he wanted to reach the sun. After that, he moved the upper part of his body to one side and then rotated it to the opposite side, to stretch all his sore muscles. Alexander was fascinated looking at that pack of muscles moving beneath that tempting skin.

The river water was calmer around him at the moment and due to that fact, its level was lower too, leaving a more exposed Hephaestion to Alexander's delight.

Alexander was completely breathless, his Phai was naked, the water was hugging and caressing those muscular legs and those milky thighs but fortunately leaving exposed the upper part of his arsecheeks and Alexander was sure that he could see the brunette's Apollo's belt indecently exposed too and he craved what that belt was leading to.

Without even thinking twice what he was doing, the young king of only nineteen summers unfastened his chiton and entered the water.

What happened then … well that is another story!

A/N: The iliac furrow, also known as a Poseidon's Fanny-pack, Aphrodite's Saddle, Hercule's Girdles, athlete's girdle, Apollo's Belt or an Adonis belt, is a term for a part of the human anatomy. It refers to either one of two shallow grooves of the surface anatomy of the human abdomen running from the iliac crest (hip bone) to the pubis.

* * *

_**EXTRAVAGANT – Sequel to BREATHLESS. ( 200 words)**_

Alexander was pondering about the decision he was about to take; he had his doubts but he was the king, after all.

He had already seen the design, that was his, the fabric, the noble metal and the jewels and he had liked what he saw a lot; in fact he could even imagine his gorgeous lover wearing them. A long midnight blue cloak with hundreds of tiny diamonds sewn on the silky surface, as if it were the same starry summer sky that had made love under it for the first time. Beneath the cloak, there would be the whitest and shortest chiton that would surely enhance the sun-kissed skin and those thighs that were driving him mad.

On top of the brunette mane, a gold crown made of tiny forget-me-not flowers, each of them bearing a tiny sapphire in their centre to symbolize his lover's eyes, a matching bracelet and ring would also be gifted to Hephaestion and a pair of the finest and softest leather sandals would complete the whole attire.

It might be a bit extravagant but it wasn't any day when a king would ask his male lover to become his partner and royal consort.


	31. Embarrassed

_**EMBARRASSED. (250 words.)**_

Hephaestion was worried, Alexander had been acting weird whenever they were alone and his attitude had been so unusual that even their companions had realized that something was going on inside the prince's head.

The blonde, who had always sought moments to spend alone with Hephaestion, was now avoiding them and both youths had not had a moment alone for over two weeks.

Hephaestion became more and more withdrawn, reaching the point of avoiding the prince's presence as much as it was possible for him. The brunette did not want to impose his presence if it was not well accepted by Alexander. However, his heart was falling apart because he thought they were going to end up together but it seemed as if it was a desire only on his side and, as Alexander did not feel the same, he had decided to back off in the most diplomatic way.

However, the situation couldn't be more different from that; Alexander's problem was Hephaestion's presence, every time the brunette was near, Alexander became aroused and he could not do anything to stop it, except avoiding him because he felt too embarrassed. He did not want Hephaestion to think that he only wanted him just to have his sexual release; he wanted Hephaestion to be his partner, his soul mate, his everything …

He wanted to have a better control of his young body before expressing his deep feelings; he just prayed the gods this control exercise did not take too long.


	32. Frustrated

_**FRUSTRATED. Sequel to EMBARRASSED. (single drabble)**_

Time had not been good with the young prince, his body was still playing a dirty trick on him and now not only he felt frustrated but also afraid because he had seen how Hephaestion was more and more distant and that was counterproductive in some way to the whole situation.

Frustration invaded the blonde youth's body and he prayed the gods for assistance once again. Sweet Aphrodite took pity on the young prince and instructed Eros to tone down the prince's arousal while she tried to enhance Hephaestion's sexuality so both youths could be finally on the same situation.


	33. Lucky

_**LUCKY. Sequel to FRUSTRATED. (340 words)**_

Luck was a tricky lady but on this occasion, she worked on the boys' side, favouring brief encounters so they could handle their common "problem" better.

Hephaestion, who had been quite gloomy lately, woke up one day completely aroused so the young boy hid under the covers until everything was back to normal refusing to leave his bed until that.

The brunette also realized that it had started to happen more frequently, especially when Alexander was near or when he had a dream about him. The former little butterflies he felt in his stomach when he was in the prince's presence had now turned into big eagles.

One late evening, Hephaestion was taking a cold bath when he suddenly heard a noise on the other side. He decided to investigate and was gladly surprised when he discovered that Alexander was also having a bath. He felt himself lucky because he was hidden but still able to see the gorgeous Adonis who had lately turned his quiet and peaceful life upside down.

However, his luck ran out when he stood on the tip of his toes to see more and he fell when he listened to his own name on the prince's lips, said with passion and love; his loud and surprised cry alerted Alexander of his presence.

Alexander turned round, completely aroused as he had been thinking about his gorgeous friend, and found himself standing in front of the very object of his desire and current problem.

"I … I … sorry" Alexander said and was about to turn round and run away when he felt another aroused body spooning his.

"Don't be … you do that to me too … only you, my Alexander!" Hephaestion whispered against Alexander's nape.

"So we are lucky because you are the only one who does this to me" Alexander replied and turning round, he kissed his Phai on the lips.

Long was forgotten their embarrassment and frustration, they were more than ready to enjoy their good luck of being in love.


	34. Hurt

_**HURT. (130 words)**_

The king was hurt and there was nothing he could do to get better. Time would be the best healer but the impatient young conqueror did not understand that.

His army was used to listen to him, to follow his orders, to assess the importance of things according to the tone of voice he used … but he was voiceless; the hit of that stone to his throat during the attack at Sogdian had left him without his most powerful weapon.

He had used his voice to rally his troops before the battles, to ask and thank the gods for their protection, to whisper in his soulmate's ear how much he loved him.

Alexander felt frustrated and devoid of his voice, he was hurt and he did not like it at all.


	35. Heartbroken

_**HEARTBROKEN. (300 words)**_

There was no greater pain than loving someone so deeply and being unrequited. The young blonde king had loved the blue-eyed young brunette for ages and even though they had a sexual relationship, there was no love in it. Every time that he took the brunette, Hephaestion waited until Alexander's release, and immediately after, he left the double bed and went back to the tiny cot in an even smaller room, with his eyes teary and his heart heavy.

Alexander had found him, more than once, with dry tear tracks on his handsome face and it had been difficult not to listen to the whispered string of "Why why why" that left the brunette's lips during their intercourse.

Alexander had never been a slave of his body and its carnal needs but he could not explain why he needed to brand Hephaestion and to make him understand that he belonged to him, even if the brunette did not like it.

Alexander could not understand why Hephaestion did not accept and enjoy his love, why he resisted every attempt of being loved by the powerful Macedonian king who would give him the world if he just asked for it.

However, Hephaestion remained impassive, receiving the blonde ruler inside his body and never rejecting him but hating and feeling disgusted by his own body that, after so many years, continued betraying him.

Alexander was never rude to him, he treated him as a companion; he was even faithful to him but those gentle gestures did not make things more pleasant before the eyes of the brunette.

Alexander did not want to feel heartbroken any longer, he wanted to feel loved; it really did not matter to him that Hephaestion was the heir of a defeated kingdom, that he was just a slave.


	36. Jealous

JEALOUS. (150 words)

Alexander was not jealous; kings did not do jealousy and he was not going to be the exception so his face remained blank when his most beloved General and lover received a compliment, a gift or he was offered a relationship.

Alexander was not jealous but his heart suffered deeply and he started to think if it was not dangerous for one man to have such a strong hold on him.

So jealousy, that was the main and first negative feeling that entered their sane and joyous relationship, found its way inside the king's heart and meandering as a poisonous snake, started to infect that perfect and pure feeling of love both young men had been sharing.

That was how Alexander lost his first battle against jealousy and the green-eyed monster brought with itself a deep feeling of confusion and vulnerability, adding more negative feelings to the already crumbling relationship.


	37. Vulnerable

_**VULNERABLE – Sequel to JEALOUSY. (140 words)**_

Alexander felt his word crumble beneath his feet and what was worse was that he was the only one to blame for that.

His partner was completely oblivious to the turmoil of feelings inside his heart but he realized that something was happening; something important and big enough to annoy the king who, not only did not want to share the problem but also continued denying there was one when he was asked.

The most vulnerable Alexander felt, the most miserable he was but he was too embarrassed to speak about it.

Hephaestion was suffering in silence too but he knew that Alexander would come to him if he needed help; however, he had promised himself to wait for a reasonable length of time before intervening and the waiting time as well as his patience were coming to an end.


	38. Gentle

_**GENTLE – Sequel to VULNERABLE. (460 words)**_

"Alexander, may I have a word with you?" Hephaestion asked kindly.

"Yes, what is it?" the king asked not so kindly.

"Have you got time for a stroll with me?" Hephaestion continued speaking with kindness; no grumpy, jealous or vulnerable king would make him lose his good manners.

"I'm a king, I have an empire to rule, I don't have time for meaningless strolls in the middle of the day" Alexander replied, quite angry but, deep inside his chest, his heart was racing like a wild horse.

"Of course, I just wanted to spend some time with you but I do understand. Accept my apologies for interrupting you, Sire" Hephaestion said and after bowing slightly, he started to walk away.

"Why are you being some formal?" Alexander asked, his vulnerability kicking in once again.

"Because you have just reminded me that you are the King and you are treating me as one of your Generals, Sire" Hephaestion insisted with his gentle manners.

"And aren't you one of them?" Alexander asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Of course, Sire, and very proud of being one of them, but it was your lover the one inviting you to that midday stroll" Hephaestion said and remained in his place.

"Oh …" the king uttered and for the first time in a long time, he was rendered speechless.

After some seconds, Alexander cleared his throat and added in a whisper:

"I was jealous"

"Have I ever given you any reason to feel that way?" Hephaestion asked, whispering back.

"Never" Alexander answered quickly.

"So why were you punishing us both?" he asked politely.

"It wasn't my intention but everybody wants you" Alexander replied and he could even hear how silly his excuse was.

"But I'm yours and no one else's. Haven't you thought that many of those people who offered me something was because they wanted to be closer to you?" Hephaestion asked.

"That never crossed my mind" Alexander said and felt even worse than before.

"Well, now you know. Have a good day, Sire" Hephaestion said and started to walk away for the second time.

"I'd love to take that stroll with you if you still want" Alexander said and blushed as if he were a teen again.

"I'll always want to go for a walk with you, Xander" Hephaestion said and after pecking the king's nose, he caught his hand in his and began to walk.

A wise proverb said that you caught more flies with honey than with vinegar and once again it was proved right, even if the fly caught in the loving arms of his lover was a jealous Macedonian king.


	39. Quiet

_**QUIET. ( 310 words)**_

Hephaestion entered the chamber and smiled at the woman sat by the cradle. He approached and peeped inside the bed to watch at the royal bundle enveloped in a deep crimson blanket.

The baby was quietly sleeping, his face showed how relaxed he felt as well as his arms and legs that were completely lax.

The petite woman touched the brunette's arm and whispered that the next feeding was soon so she offered to go to the kitchen to fetch the milk bottle. Hephaestion smiled and nodded his acceptance.

The door was closed without a sound so the tall man stood by the cradle and looked at his son and, once again thanked the gods for this miracle, well, for the second miracle; not even in his weirdest dreams had he thought of the possibility that the gods would give him a second chance to bear another baby.

A gurgle brought him back from his quiet recollection, two big blue eyes looked at him and a toothless smile graced the pinkish lips.

Phaidros had blue eyes like Phainder but instead of his brother's blonde hair, his was pitch black, as his grandmothers; a striking combination that made of him a beautiful baby.

Another quiet gurgle was followed by a quick and repetitive kicking of the blanket until his legs and arms were free. Hephaestion leaned over, caught his son in his arms, and walked towards the window. The hot sun had made all the soldiers look for shelter inside so the streets were quiet and empty so the young father could show his son what his other father had accomplished.

A second pair of arms met at the small back and a broad chest spooned the brunette's back, a small hand grabbed the baby's foot and the four of them joined in the contemplation of their future as a family.


	40. Teasing

_**40\. TEASING. (330 words)**_

Hephaestion was so tired that he thought he would drop dead on his feet at any moment. Unfortunately, he still had many tasks to finish so he took a deep breath and had a look to the long list to check what to do next.

He walked towards the royal kitchen to ask Lena about her list of supplies, the ones for the king and his companions' consumption. He was so focused on his task that he did not realize that someone was following him until he was pushed against a side hall and kissed to an inch of his life.

When the kiss was over, Hephaestion sighed deeply and was about to ask his king and partner what he was doing there when the blonde pecked his lips shortly, wished him a good day and ran out of the palace. Hephaestion was startled by the king's action but he continued with his tasks.

Two hours later, the brunette stopped to have a light and quick lunch in the kitchen when he felt someone rub his buttocks with a gentle but very well-known caress.

"Oi" Hephaestion said, trying to sound upset.

"Just a little foreplay, love" the king said lovingly and left the kitchen quickly.

The day continued like that, with Alexander meeting Hephaestion before he started a new task and being flirty with his lover. Hephaestion had finally suspected that Alexander had a copy of his list to know where to find him.

When Hephaestion achieved the last task of his list, he went directly to their chamber to fall on the comfortable bed. However, he found a semi naked Alexander standing by their bed with a soft towel in one hand and a goblet of cut wine in the other.

In that moment, Hephaestion realized that all the teasing and flirting had led to that moment and that he would enjoy it a lot.

Life in the Army was hard but it also had its rewards.


	41. Annoyed

_**41\. ANNOYED (370 words)**_

How could someone be romantic when you shared your intimate time with two young children, some maids and thousands of soldiers? The brunette wondered while he was thinking of his partner of 30 years.

"I will have to look for a way?" the brunette said without realizing he had done it aloud.

"About what papa?" the youngest of the Macedonian royal children asked.

"What?" Hephaestion asked, still buried in his problem.

"What about will you have to look for a way?" Phaidros insisted.

"Nothing, Phaidros, it's just grown-ups stuff" the man said.

"You always say that when you don't want to tell me and keep it secret" the black haired boy protested.

.

"Who has got a secret? There are no secrets in this family" Alexander said seriously.

.

The king had suffered in his own skin the problems that secrets could bring.

.

"There are no secrets, my king, I was just thinking aloud" Hephaestion quickly answered, defending himself.

"You never call father "my king" unless there is a problem" Phainder, who had just entered the room, stated.

"What is it, a plot against me?" Hephaestion said angry, looked back at the other three men, and sighed loudly.

.

"By Zeus, what is happening here?" the boys' former nanny asked a bit worried.

"See, even LadyLight thinks there's something wrong" Phainder added.

.

"A plot? Who? Where? When?" Ptolemy, Perdicas and Cleitus asked at the same time while invading the royal chamber.

"There are NO secrets! Nothing is wrong!" Hephaestion insisted, shouting at the top of his baritone voice.

"That is not true; you never shout, pretty boy" Cleitus said, adding flirting to his statement.

"Arghhhhhhh" Hephaestion said and left the chamber, stomping his boots loudly against the marble floor, leaving behind six astonished men and a worried woman.

.

"I don't dare to ask him, but he can't be pregnant again, can he?" Nearchos asked from behind and all of them turned round to see the retreating back of the fuming blue-eyed General.

"I wouldn't mind at all, but this time I want a little princess" Alexander said and all the men there just nodded happily.


	42. Rough - M

RATING: NC-17

WARNING: NON-CON SEX.

* * *

_**42\. ROUGH. (270 words)**_

The king slammed his lover against the wood door and bit his lower lip until a fat drop of blood appeared. Alexander saw Hephaestion wince but he did not care, he was too angry and horny and, deep inside his heart, he knew Hephaestion could deal with his rough treatment.

He then pushed the brunette's front hard against the wall; Hephaestion hit his forehead, and he could swear a bump would be appearing in the next minutes. Meanwhile, his nape was assaulted by numerous bites and Hephaestion lost himself in them without realizing that Alexander had lifted his chiton above his waist.

In the middle of the confusion, Hephaestion heard his loincloth being torn, leaving his arse exposed. Then he heard the king spat on his hand and smeared it along his erected cock. Without a further preparation, Alexander entered Hephaestion and the brunette shouted at the rough invasion.

Alexander stopped for a minute or so and then continued thrusting hard inside the hot tight channel. Hephaestion was whimpering due to the pain, however, Alexander thought that he was enjoying it so it turned him on more and more, until he was hitting inside the brunette without mercy.

Fortunately, Alexander came quickly and immediately pulled out, without finishing Hephaestion off. It would have been impossible because Hephaestion had lost his hardness during the selfish and rough sex.

Alexander turned round, took a long breathe and shouted euphorically. However, he realized that something was wrong when he looked backwards and saw his lover on a heap on the floor and a thin trickle of blood running down the back of his legs.


	43. Guilty

_** GUILTY – Sequel to ROUGH ( 130 words)**_

Alexander saw that image in front of his eyes and ran away. Now that his mind was not so clouded, he could see what he had done and he felt so bad, so low, so guilty …

How could he have done something like that?

How could he have hurt the person he loved most?

How could he have confused Hephaestion's cries of pain with the ones of passion?

Alexander looked at his body and felt disgusted; he had always been proud because he had been able to fight the weakness of the flesh. His Spartan tutor had taught him how to do that and he had always succeeded.

His only exception had always been Hephaestion and those tempting thighs, maybe he could be cured if he removed that temptation forever…


	44. Afraid

_**AFRAID – Sequel to GUILTY (double drabble)**_

Hephaestion opened his eyes as soon as he heard Alexander leave the room. Frantic blue eyes looked around the chamber to check if he was really alone or if it had been one of Alexander's tricks.

He was alone so he tried to stand up but the pain in his lower back was so excruciating that he fell on his hands and knees, with his head between his legs and that was when he saw his blood, still running down his thighs. The mere sight sent him vomiting and crying at the same time.

He felt so dirty, it felt as if he had been raped by his own partner, his Alexander, who had never done something like that before, who had always been the gentlest and kindest lover, who had always loved him well, who he still loved even this mess …

Hephaestion was afraid of being near Alexander now, at least until he could discover what had happened in that room; what had moved him to act so different than he used to act …

He was afraid and that was something that he would have never imagined he could feel in connection with his king and partner.


	45. Nervous

_**NERVOUS – Sequel to AFRAID**_ (135 words)

Alexander did not know how to act, he knew he should go back immediately to the palace and apologize to Hephaestion for what he had done but he was feeling too guilty and now too nervous to do that.

He did not know how Hephaestion would react but, deep in his heart, he knew it would take a long time for Hephaestion to forgive him, if he ever felt doing that.

Hephaestion had tolerated many injustices in his life but rape was something he did not, not even in the euphoria after winning a battle or taking down a city. The brunette had sent to death many men for raping women and killing children, so Alexander knew he could not expect too much mercy.

He was guilty, he was nervous and he deserved it all.


	46. Numb

_**NUMB - sequel to nervous (150 words)**_

Hephaestion had been able to get to the inner chamber and washed the evidence of his assault, but he cried the whole time.

Suddenly he felt fire inside his heart and he could feel how rage and sadness grow inside it. He felt sadness because Alexander had not been able to control himself and rage because he had broken one of the very few promises he had made to Hephaestion.

When the cleaning was over, Hephaestion discarded the bloodied chiton and emptied the bowl while rivulets of pinkish water disappeared in the drain.

He then took care of the cut in his lip and the bump in his forehead and then he felt how numbness invaded his body and mind and he no longer knew what to do or feel.

That was not the Alexander he fell in love and still loved dearly; something had to be wrong with him.


	47. Confused

_**CONFUSED – Sequel to NUMB**_ (300 words)

Alexander, in his confusion, decided that he had to put an end to the situation and as it was clear that Hephaestion could bring out the worst in him, he would get rid of Hephaestion because he was no longer the good influence he used to be. Immediately after that idiotic thought took place in his muddy mind, Alexander marched in search of his lover and announced him that they were no longer together because he had been the one who had made him do that.

Hephaestion was confused because he had thought that Alexander would come back to apologize. However, he had disappeared the whole night and the morning after and no one knew where he was.

In spite of his fear and numbness, Hephaestion wanted to know what had caused such an unusual and destructive mood in his lover. The brunette knew that it would take him time to forgive Alexander but if the explanation was coherent, they could get through that sooner and together.

Unfortunately, the explanation arrived in the most inconvenient moment; Hephaestion was still walking with a little limp when he crossed paths in the hall with Alexander who had a determined expression in his face and body.

Hephaestion immediately froze in his spot and sought for a safe place, however, the king kept a good distance between them and announced loudly his decision.

Alexander was confused and took the wrong decision.

Hephaestion was confused but accepted it because Alexander had already decided that for them.

Both men left the hall and had to plan how it would be to live apart from each other.

A man with the wrong hue of blue in his eyes heard the announcement and a devilish smirk appeared in his face. His revenge was much more successful than he had planned.


	48. Alone

_**ALONE – Sequel to CONFUSED.**_ (260 words)

That was how, at 30, both men discovered that they were alone even if they were surrounded by thousands of soldiers.

None of them had realized how entangled their lives were until that moment, especially because they had been sharing everything and now it seemed as if their friends were forced to take sides too despite knowing nothing about the problem. All of them knew that something important had happened between them but Hephaestion, due to his high sense of loyalty, had not revealed anything to anyone.

The other blue-eyed man was a bit confused because he had been assured that his revenge would work in his favour after affecting the other two parties but he had not seen a favorable result on his side.

Hephaestion seemed to be the one who lost the most but the brunette kept by his side the truest friends who would support him … however, the only one Hephaestion wanted to have by his side was lost forever.

Alexander was alone too; he finally discovered how much he had relied on Hephaestion that now he found it quite difficult to take a decision without his sensible opinion.

He had lately started to have some intriguing and inexplicable flashes about a bitter drink and poisonous words whispered in his ear and, due to that, a deep sense of remorse started to grow in side his heart.

Alexander finally recognized that there was no one who knew him better than the brunette and the king was feeling not only alone and miserable but also sorry for his actions.


	49. Sorry

_**SORRY – sequel to ALONE. (400 words)**_

Months had gone by since the incident and the relationship between Alexander and Hephaestion did not get any close to what it used to be; they were civil to each other and they had reassumed their talks, however, they were always related to the army.

Hephaestion did no longer flinch or hide whenever Alexander was near him but he was not so sure if he wanted their relationship back. Alexander had not tried that either; in fact, he had not had any intimate relationship with anyone in the last eight months.

Hephaestion saw that as a good omen and, deep in his heart, he knew that Alexander would never attempt to do something like that again, not to him and not to others. He had lately discovered that Alexander seemed to be very sorry but he was still afraid to do something about it. He had not been able to discover if Alexander was sorry for what he had done to him or for ending their relationship without trying to solve the problem first. He had also seen another companion keeping a close eye on them but maybe that was his imagination.

Hephaestion was sure that if he gave the first step, Alexander would follow his lead but he was afraid; he had wondered many times if what Alexander had said in that hall had been true, that he had always been his weakness.

Hephaestion was still thinking about that when he heard someone approaching him. In spite of having a better control of his body, his back still tensed but he did not turn round.

Alexander saw the tiny flinch and sighed lowly. He remained in his place, cleared his voice and said:

"Hephaestion, I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry and guilty, sorry and ashamed of what I did to you. I know that I cannot ask for your forgiveness, not after this long silence, but I would like if you can seek in your heart the chance to do that when you really think I deserve that. I was wrong, what I did to do was despicable and I have finally realized that I am the one who is the weakest, that I am the one who is nothing without you "

When he finished saying that, Alexander walked away, leaving a very pensive Hephaestion behind.

The time to solve that incident like real men was getting closer.


	50. Crystal Clear

_**Thanks for accompanying me in this roller-coaster of mood. I hope you had enjoyed them. **_

* * *

_**CRYSTAL CLEAR – Sequel to SORRY ( 1,130 words)**_

A full year had come and gone and even though they had reconnected in a more normal relationship, they had never recovered their intimacy. Hephaestion had lately sought for moments to spend alone with Alexander. At first, the blonde king tried to avoid them because he did not want Hephaestion to think that he would take advantage of him again but he had to recognize that he had been feeling more and more comfortable with the brunette so he, little by little, allowed those moments to happen.

One windy and cold evening, Hephaestion was standing outside in the garden, looking upwards as the grey and heavy clouds ran along the sky. Rain was coming, he could feel it in his bones and in his soul. He tended to be more pensive in the rain, he remembered crying in the rain to hide his tears …

He felt a shiver travel along his back and hugged himself with his arms around his waist. Suddenly he felt the weight of a fur cloak over his shoulders and he did not have to turn round to know who had done it. He let a long and loud sigh escape his lips and he let himself lean backwards, knowing that a strong and warm chest would catch him.

Alexander did exactly that. However, he was astonished; he could not understand how Hephaestion could trust him after what he had done to him. In spite of his nerves and astonishment, he did not want to let him down so he gently cradled him in his arms, holding him so gently that the embrace was hardly felt through the thick cloak.

However, Hephaestion had another idea, he pushed himself softly against Alexander's body and grabbing the king's arms, he closed them over his own chest. Hephaestion then covered the king's hands with his and stayed like that for a while. He had been doing a lot of thinking during the last four months since Alexander had asked him for his forgiveness and the brunette had come to the conclusion that life was too short, especially for army men, and his thread of life could be cut any moment. He would not forgive himself if he left things unsolved when Atropos finally found him. That was the reason why, he started to favour those little but meaningful moments between them.

Tiny raindrops started to fall on them and Alexander thought that they looked like little diamonds on the bronze long hair. He dared, for the first time in a year, to set a butterfly kiss on the crown of Hephaestion's head and a string of low "Sorry" left the king's mouth.

Hephaestion lifted their entangled hands and kissed Alexander's knuckles reverently and whispered "I know" and then he immediately felt other drops, warmer and salty wetting his neck.

After some minutes, when the rain started to be stronger, Hephaestion turned round and invited Alexander to go inside the palace. The king followed his former lover keeping his distance in spite of the intimate moment that they had just shared. He had promised himself that if Hephaestion granted him a second chance, it would be at Hephaestion's own pace.

When Hephaestion reached his chamber, he asked Alexander:

"Would you like some wine?"

"I prefer not, I have taken and done awful things under its influence" Alexander confessed.

"When were you that drunk? It has been a while since I saw you drink, now I realized that you always drink uncut wine or water" Hephaestion said, a bit surprised.

"A year ago, when I forced you to have sex" Alexander said and lowered his head.

"Ahhh so you were drunk that night?" Hephaestion asked.

He gently took Alexander's hand and led him inside his chamber. The king followed him without realizing where he was until he saw it, the very same spot where he had seen his bloodied lover on a heap.

"I never explained to you what had happened that night and I don't know if you are ready to listen to it now" Alexander said and focused his eyes on the opposite side.

Hephaestion looked at Alexander and then at the spot he was so hard trying to avoid and he finally realized why that was like that. Hephaestion moved to the other side of the chamber, opened the heavy curtains and entered the balcony to contemplate the rain. Maybe this water would finally help them to cleanse their mistakes and move forwards.

Alexander told him that he had entered one of those stupid drinking contest that Cleitus liked too much and he already knew that it would end badly; some of the companions were heavy drinkers but very bad losers. That was the case of the other brunette with icy blue eyes who had also been taunting him about his relationship with Hephaestion and how it lately seemed that it was him the one who had the reins of the kingdom.

Hephaestion flinched at that piece of information; it was true that he had many and some very sensitive tasks inside the army but he had never said or done anything to make Alexander think he was after his power and authority.

"I drank more than I could tolerate and let him poison my ear with his words filled with jealousy and lies. He also spoke about your looks and how they could drive anyone to do anything. I was so stupid and then, when I saw you, all those words and bitter feelings nestled in my heart, burst out and I took you and I hurt you so badly … "

Alexander said and then remained in silence, waiting for Hephaestion's verdict.

"You hurt me so badly, you made me fear you, you made me feel dirty and weak. I should have reacted differently, I should have hit you and demanded for an explanation but I don't know what happened to me in that moment that I could not react sensibly" Hephaestion said and his eyes had a hard look in them.

"Do you think you can forgive?" Alexander asked in a whisper.

"I will forgive you but I won't forget, Alexander; this is not because I am resentful, this is because I will never let it happen again without taking justice in my own hands. You know I sent my own men to death for the same crime so you cannot expect a different treatment, king or not, because you are my partner, first of all, mine" Hephaestion stated so seriously that Alexander knew that he had been given his last chance.

"Am I still yours?" Alexander asked, lifting his mismatched eyes to lock them with the cyan ones.

"Yes, forever and always" Hephaestion replied.

* * *

_**Bonus mood: SOFT as opposed to ROUGH.**_

The tip of a finger ran along the royal profile softly; it was as if the finger wanted to recover the sensation of the skin beneath it. It was true, Hephaestion's fingers had forgotten that sensation that had been so normal and dear for him until a year ago.

The bold finger travelled over thin lips, slightly dry because they had been closed the whole night. Hephaestion remembered them being soft and pliant under his, always providing pleasure and happiness.

A bolder and made its way towards the naked chest and it decided to explore there, softly caressing the place where the king's heart lived. Hephaestion let the heat of the golden skin warm his hand and his own heart.

"You know it has always been yours" a sleepy king whispered softly.

"I know, as mine is yours"

Both pair of lips met in a soft kiss that was the first sign of more to come.


End file.
